The Power of Gratitude
It is my belief and experience that gratitude has the power to change attitudes. When you go about your day with the intention of being grateful, it does some amazing things for you. It helps you to keep focused on the things that are going well rather than the misfortunes of the day. Although you may start your day with a plan in mind, you can be confident that some days won’t be as predictable as you hope for them to be. Whatever may be going wrong in your day, just stop for a moment, take a deep breath, and find something to be grateful for. There’s always something to be thankful for, be it big or small.
Being grateful influences your attitude in a very real and positive way. It provides room for you to re-frame the way you think. If you’re thinking differently, you will also be able to transform your feelings as well. I know that there’s a heavy emphasis this time of year on thankfulness but I would like to challenge you to make this a daily practice instead of a seasonal one. You might even find it helpful to keep a gratitude journal. Sometimes there can so much focus on problems that you often forget about the things that are going well. I encourage you to develop a solution focused approach to life’s problems so you can be less focused on problems. Focusing on the problem doesn’t serve you well. It renders a feeling of being stuck. It can create anxiety, sadness, sleep and appetite disturbances, concentration problems and the list goes on. A solution focused approach, however, encourages you to look for all possible solutions to either eliminate or minimize a problem. This is your goal, right? You want to get rid of the problem, feel better and move on with your day. Once you have a handle on your situation it becomes easier to move on.
Start today and every day with an attitude of gratefulness. Make it a part of your daily routine and it will soon become your new norm. The benefits will be great and will motivate you to continue this practice. Some well-known benefits include a more positive outlook on life, improved mood, enhanced emotional well-being and improved relationships. You have so much to gain and I am excited for you knowing that you will benefit greatly. So, what are you thankful for today? Can you imagine your life without these things?
